For the proposition that Slav-Teutonic relations were not always just hostile (or at least not any more hostile than intra-Teutonic and intra-Slav relations we have to look no further than the Greater Poland Chronicle (end of the 13th century) where we read the following passages. They also contain an interesting (if rather unlikely) interpretation of the name germani – later fully appropriated by the “Teutons”:
“It is worth knowing that Slavs and Teutoni are said to descend from two brothers, John and Russ [or Kuss] [themselves] descendants of Japheth, in accordance with what Isidore says in the first volume of his Etymologies and what Martin says in his Roman Chronicle.”*
(Scire autem dignum est, quod Slavi et Theutonici a duobus germanis, Japhet nepotibus, Jano et Russz, dicuntur habuisse originem, prout Isidorus in primo libro etymologiarum, et Martinus in Cronica romana videntur declarasse.)
* These names come from Genesis. As for Isidore he says nothing about Slavs or Germans in volume I of his Etymologies. The various nations are discussed first in volume V – where, however, Isidore does not mention Slavs. He does mention the Sarmatians, the Alani, Alemanni, Lombards and Vandals before discussing the “Germanic” nations including, in their own section, the Suevi. (Book IX, 2, 98). The reference to “Martin” is to Martin of Opava or Martin of Poland (Martinus Polonus) and his Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum.
“And now also to explain the name Germanorum. The name comes from “german” because the one and the other is bound together with the blood of brotherhood [i.e., is related]. For “gerzmo” is a certain type of tool, in which two cattle are united pulling behind them a plough or a wagon. And so too the Teutoni who have countries neighboring the Slavs, frequently interact with them and there are in the world no other nations who are so pleasant and friendly to one another as the Slavs and the Teutoni. So too, from the Latin speakers comes the name Ducz [Deutsch], from which later comes Teutoni and Slavus from which comes the name Slavs, and then germane, that is brothers.”
(Item alia interpretatio Germanorum. Dicitur a german, quia unus alterum fraternitatis consanguineitate attingebat. Nam gerzmo est quoddam instrumentum, in quo duo boves simul juncti trahendo aratrum seu plaustrum incedunt. Sic et Theutonici, cum Slavis regna contingua habentes, simul conversatione incdent, nec aliqua gens in mundo est sibi tam communis et familiaris, velut Slavi et Theutonici. Sic etiam per Latinos Ducz a quo Theutonici, et es Slavus a quo Slavi, germani qui et fratres, sunt appellati etc.)
Of course, Venäjä in Finnish refers to Suavs (supposedly by way of the Teutons: “from Proto-Germanic *winidaz“). Curiously, though, in Estonian, the words for “brother/brothers” are vend/vennad. In Finnish, this is veli/veljet which, of course, sounds like Veltae/Wieleci/Veleti.
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I thought that Germans are “brothers” too. zodiac sign of Gemini (or should it be germini) is ruled by Hermes, in nordic mythology it is Hermod/Odin. Word “Grymas” also have this meaning I imagine it as double god with one sad and one happy ‘grymas’ or ‘hermes’. Hermod is explained as warrior spirit, it is because 3rd chakra (asgard) is ruled by gemini, and 3rd chakra deals with warrior related things as opposed to 2nd (vanaheim) with pleasure and vanity.